Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-05-05
A CUBAN BULL FIGHT.
A Typical Amusement OF Our Isiano
Neighbors South.

| Neighbors south.
Especial Correspondence
GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla, April 20.
aWould we go to the bull fight"
We were doing" Cuba, and the question
was asked by Senior Pedro Maseda, our court
eous host in Havana. or course we answered
| yes. for all American visitors go Just once =
and sometimes, l suspect, the "once" Is re-
| peated several tines.
Just then all Cuba was wild over new
| star in the bull ring, Mazzantini by name,
| Spaniard who had come from Madrid TO MI
an engagement for fourteen performances,
! for which his compensation was tie paltry
| sum of $50, 900, and the entire expenses OF
| himself and his large company paid besides,
! by the management.
| Our tickets were procured for us by our
attentive host, on the shady side of the arena,
and cost us eight dollars each. For the sunny
side they would have been much less. Thus
| provided, we were driven in a cab every
body rides in Havana) to the Plaza de Toros.
where the national sport is witnessed, A
| large circular building incloses an amphi-
| theatre capable Of seating upward OF 0,OOO
people. The bull ring itself is i'll tho center,
and is surrounded by fence which separates
| it from the seats. Between the latter and the
fence is an open space where the bull fighters
| retreat when too closely pressed by the
maddened animals Occasionally the bull
| goes oyer the fence too, but there are pass
ageways for the escape of the men in such
| case, and the bull is driven back into the
ring.
What sight meets our gaze as we take
our seats! A great sea of faces is before
us. Fair senoritas, gay cavaliers, grave
senors, stout duennas, youth and beauty,
wealth and rank, all are represented here
Thousands of sparkling eyes and bewitching.
smiling faces tell us that this is gala day.
But see! A horseman gallops into the
arena and advancing to the presidents box
asks for the key. This is thrown to him and
dexterously caught, and then he admits
the company This is a pageant long
to be remembered. There is great
blast of trumpets, and in through
doorway march matadors and BAN
derilleras and picadors, some on horse
back. some on foot, but all richly clad in the
most brilliant and picturesque costumes of
silk tinsel and gold How proud and stately
they look as they march around the arena !!
Here is skill, power and bravery, the pomp
and splendor and all the stately grandeur of
the old days of chiyalry.
Now 10000 eyes are turned expectantly
toward the strong doors under the music
stand, and presently they are thrown open,
and in bounds bull What magnificent
ANIMAL He is blooded stock, bred for the
especial purpose, and as he dasbes into the
arena steel barb is fastened to his shoulder,
on which are different colored ribbons-his
breeders colors. How sleek he is, and well fed,
high spirited, wild, and fierce as Bengal tiger.
Kept for some hours in dark place the light
ba iS fpr n l;,,l
and dazed. Then surprise gives place to rage.
He snorts and paws the ground, shaking
fferccly his shaggy head. Now he catches
sight of picador and rushes madly after
him. But the bull fighter springs nimbly
over the fence, and the bull brings up against
II baffied and more enraged than ever Then
he spies another picador, and drives him also
over the barrier
All this time the vast audience has been
working itself up into frenzy of excitement.
Every man shouts until he is hoarse and ees-
tlculates with the yehemence of mailman
The ladies wave their handkerchiefs or fans.
ana vie with the men in making themselves
heard. 1t is pandemonium let loose. NO one
minds his neighbor. His eyes, his thoughts.
ms whole being is centered on the contest of
the arena. He imagines himself one of the
contestants and cheers, scolds, laughs, objur-
Satcs-all in breath and like one possessed.
And weH Well, when one is in Rome be
must be like the Romans You would have
shouted yourself had you been there.
But the bull now discovers a horseman.
and makes break for him The picador
extends his lance, but the headlong rush of
the bull is too much for him, and he cannot
keep him off. The poor blindfolded horse is
struck full on the flank, and goes down fear
fully manged by the bulls horns. The pica-
dor quickly disengages himself, while the
other fighters attract the bulls attention by
ninging their cloaks before bis ewes. and the
dead or dying horse is dragged from the
arena.
Now follows something not quite so cruel
and requiring far more skill and bravery.
the thrusting of the banderillos. These are
wires thirty inches long. covered with gayly
colored ribbons, and ending in a sharp
barhed point. The banderillero advances
with one of these in each hand, and the bull
makes dash for him. See the banderillero
now! lie stands perfectly still awaiting the
nuils assault. He has neither cloak nor flag
to distract the mad beast; his only safety lies
IN nimbiene's and cool courage Head down,
eyes closed, on comes the bull with q rush
like the whirlwind. How will the banderil-
AA' iiiuh uoi Jus HOTIlSs MY COM
panion grass my arm with little scream of
terror, and all over that vast assemblage there
comes hush as the people wait with bated
breath for the result. The suspense is pain
full, but just as we think the brave fellow is
to be impaled, he springs nimbly to one side.
and with dexterous, graceful thrust plants
banderlllo in either shoulder of the beast .s
1t PUSHES by him at headlong speed. What a
shout went up from that multitude of neo-
pie! 1t was like the rush and roar of a tor
nado through the forest
AS soon as the bull can check himself in b;s
headiong rush he turns about and charges st
another banderillero, who plants two more
harbs IN his shoulders, and again for the third
time the act is repeated.
The bull is beside himself now with main
and rage, and, snorting and believing he
dashes madly here and there.
A signal from the president indicates that
the bull has been tortured enough and must
be killed bugle blast sounds and Mazzan.
tlnl-the peerless, the incomparahle the idol
lzed-enters the arena for the final art in tb;s
bloody drama. He will dispatch the bull
with single thrust of his keen sword Sae
how defiant he is how cool and brave, NJ
must not finch or his life will pay the pen
atty. Neither must he strike the bull unless
1t shows fight; that would be cowar,iice. and
the populace would hiss and shout aassassnn
and coward
RI,+ lha hill iS -